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| (Image Source: UNTV News Online/SIBOL eSports) |
The
Philippine Southeast Asian Games eSports Union (PSEU) has officially announced
the final roster of members for SIBOL, the Philippine national eSports team that
will compete in the 30th SEA Games to be held in the Philippines on November
30-December 12, 2019, from a 77-person training pool featuring the best
professional gamers in the country and those coming from the draft combine
which took place last August. The team will comprise of 27 players where seven each
are needed for DOTA 2, Arena of Valor and Mobile Legends Bang Bang while Tekken
7, Hearthstone and StarCraft II will each be represented by two.
With
these in mind, here is the list of athletes who will make up the national
eSports team:
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DOTA 2: McNicholson "Mc" Villanueva, John Anthony "Natsumi"
Vargas, Jun "Bok" Kanehara, Marvin Salvador "Boomy" Rushton,
Bryle Jacob "CML" Alvizo, Van Jerico "Van" Manalaysay,
James Erice "Erice" Guerra
*
Arena of Valor: Kevin Kio "Gambit"Dizon, Jeremiah "1717" Camarillo,
Jevan Lorenzo "Bents" Delos Santos, Lawrence Anthony "Rubixx"
Gatmaitan, Miguel Klarenz "Miggie" Banaag, Bradie Ryan "Yats"
Velasquez, Kyle Jepherson "Vindiicated" Padlan
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Mobile Legends Bang Bang: Kenneth Jiane "Kenji" Villa, Karl Gabriel "KarlTzy"
Nepomuceno, Carlito "Ribo" Ribo, Jeniel "Haze" Bata-anon,
Angelo Kyle "Pheww" Arcangel, Allan Sancio "Lusty" Castromayor,
Jason Rafael "Jay" Torculas
*
Tekken 7: Andreij Hosea "Doujin" Albar, Alexandre Gabrielle "AK"
Laverez
*
Hearthstone: Dustin "WaningMoon" Mangulabnan, Jacinta Patricia "Jia"
Dee
* StarCraft
II: Justin "NuksPH" Santos, Caviar "Enderr" Acampado
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| SIBOL eSports' roster of managers and coaches (Image Source: Mineski.net) |
These
players will be tested and trained by their respective official coaches in an
effort to mold them into solid individuals and teams who will have their eyes
on the prize as six gold medals will be at stake in the eSports competition of
the 2019 SEA Games which was officially recognized as one of its official medal
events and will be held on December 5-10, 2019. Embodying them as they enter
the virtual battlefields with pride and confidence is the catchphrase "Lakad
Matatag", the infamous words used by OG in The International that became a
staple in DOTA 2 on conversations during gameplay.
Smart
Communications Inc., the largest telecommunications company in the Philippines,
is wholeheartedly supporting the efforts of SIBOL as not just pioneers and the
country's pride but also as part of the foundation for young Filipinos who aspire
to compete in the world stage. On the other hand, 2019 SEA Games' official
eSports partner Razer is slated to help in the team's training and preparation
while Mountain Dew is all set to refresh the gamers as the team's official game
fuel. The eSports competition of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games will be aired
live across multiple platforms via the Games' official broadcasters in the
Philippines TV5 and Cignal TV.
* *
* *
The
International Olympic Committee (IOC) and worldwide sponsor Intel have officially
teamed up to announce the staging of the Intel World Open 2020, a global eSports
competition which is slated to be a frontrunner for the upcoming 2020 Tokyo
Summer Olympics. In partnership with renouned video game developers Capcom and
Psyonix/Epic Games, the competition will feature Street Fighter V and Rocket
League tournaments with a prize pool of US$250,000 at stake in each competition
for a grand total of US$500,000.
Those
from participating countries who are interested to compete in these tournaments
can participate in the online qualifiers for a chance to be named to his or her
national team. A live qualifying event to be held on June in Katowice, Poland
will take place afterwards and determine which teams will ultimately compete in
the World Open Finals on July 22-24, 2020 at Zepp DiverCity in Tokyo. ESL, of
which Intel is a global technology partner for competition brands such as the
Intel Extreme Masters, will handle the production of the World Open.
Intel
and the IOC have once teamed up before in holding the Intel Extreme Masters
(IEM) PyeongChang ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea where it was
solely focused on StarCraft II. The announcement of the World Open strongly
represents the evolution of the partnership between the two brands as it is
slated to have a live audience in Tokyo prior to the 2020 Olympics.
